Tears as Korean families reunite for first time in decades

A total of 100 people were chosen on each side to attend the reunion, but some dropped out after realising the relatives they had hoped to see were no longer alive.

South Korean President Moon, himself a member of a separated family from the North's eastern port city of Hungnam, said on Monday that the reunions should be sharply scaled up and held on a regular basis and include exchanges of visits and letters.

South Korea's Yonhap Newsreported on Monday that some of the participants were so frail that they spent the reunion in wheelchairs or needed help to stand.

The three-day reunion - the first for three years - will take place in Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea, following a rapid diplomatic thaw between the neighbours.

More than 57,000 South Korean survivors have registered for the family reunions, which usually end in painful farewells.

On seeing him however, there was no hesitation, and the two elderly Koreans embraced each other tightly, both in tears.

Out of almost 56,000 people who applied, a total of 534 South Korean individual were chosen to participate in this program. Another 3,700 exchanged video messages with their North Korean relatives.

About 132,600 Koreans were listed as separated from their families by the end of July. Some experts say warming inter-Korean relations could suffer a setback if the North refuses to accept a US -led call for complete nuclear disarmament, and that is expected to figure into another inter-Korean summit set for next month in Pyongyang.

North Korea is reluctant to accept calls for more reunions.

After 11 hours together over the next three days, the pair will part, nearly certainly never to see each other again, and - unless something changes - they won't even be able to exchange letters.

Another 337 South Koreans will participate in a second round of reunions from Friday to Sunday.

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